Blood donations are an essential part of our healthcare system. If we did not have any volunteers giving blood, many of the medical procedures that we take for granted could not take place. Doctors and surgeons rely on blood donations to carry out a wide variety of life-saving and life-enhancing treatments every day.

More blood donors are needed

In 2009, 2.1 million blood donations were collected from 1.6 million donors in England. While the figures may appear to be large, this only represents 4% of the population. 

In England, around 8,000 blood transfusions are carried out every day. Therefore, the need for blood donations remains high.

As blood can only be safely stored for a relatively short time, hospital blood stocks need to be continuously refreshed. For example, red blood cells can only be stored for 35 days and platelets (the part of the blood that helps prevent excessive bleeding) can only be stored for five days.

In particular, blood donations are needed from black and Asian people because the current levels of black and Asian donors are very low. Certain ethnic groups often require certain blood types, so having a range of donations from a wide range of ethnic groups is a more effective way to meet the potential demand for blood.

Find out more about the current blood stocks from the National Blood Service.

The National Blood Service

In England, the blood donation process is overseen by the National Blood Service. The National Blood Service relies on voluntary donations from the general public to keep the service running. Donating blood is a relatively quick procedure (it usually takes less than an hour) and is virtually painless.

The website of the National Blood Service provides more information about how you can volunteer to give blood. You can also book an appointment to donate blood near to where you live or work.

Blood transfusions

A blood transfusion involves transferring blood into a person using a tube that goes directly into a vein in the arm.

Blood donation

Blood donation is volunteering to give some of your blood to help people who need extra blood after or during surgery. The blood is taken from a vein.

Find your nearest centre

Blood donor sessions take place all over the country throughout the year. The National Blood Service holds over 23,000 blood donation sessions a year, many of which are held in mobile donation centres.

To find your nearest blood donation centre, call the National Blood Service free on 0300 123 23 23. You can make an appointment for a date and time that are convenient for you.

Alternatively, visit the National Blood Service website, where you can search for your nearest centre. You can also book an appointment to give blood using the online form.

Most people can donate blood every 16 weeks (four months).

If you have never given blood before, you can register as a blood donor on the National Blood Service website.

Before donating blood

Before donating blood, make sure that you eat and drink at least a few hours before your appointment. This will help stop you feeling faint or dizzy after you have given blood. Do not drink alcohol before you give blood.

Important information

When you arrive at the donation centre to donate blood, you will be given some information to read. It is very important that you read this information because it will explain the procedure, and will help ensure that you are suitable to give blood. See Blood donation - who can use it? for information about who can and cannot give blood.

After reading the information, you will be asked to fill in a confidential donor health check form. You will be asked to answer a number of questions about your health and lifestyle. It is very important that you answer the questions honestly and accurately to ensure that the blood you donate is safe to use.

If you are donating blood for the first time, you may also have a confidential discussion with a nurse.

Anaemia check

Once you have completed your donor health check form, a very small blood sample will be taken from your finger tip. Only a droplet of blood is needed. This will be tested to determine how much haemoglobin it contains.

Haemoglobin is a substance that is present in red blood cells. It helps carry oxygen around the body. Anaemia is a condition that occurs when you do not have enough red blood cells, or when the blood cells do not contain enough haemoglobin. Symptoms of anaemia can include:

• tiredness
• lethargy
• shortness of breath
• palpitations (irregular heartbeat)

If your haemoglobin level is very low, giving blood could make you anaemic. If this is the case, you may need to visit your GP before you can give blood.

See the Health A-Z topic about Anaemia - iron deficiency for more information about this condition.

Donating blood

Once you have passed all of the necessary health checks, you will be able to donate blood. It usually takes 10 to 15 minutes for a sample of your blood to be collected.

The donation procedure will usually involve a cuff being placed around your arm. The cuff will be inflated to help make it easier for the healthcare professional to access the veins in your arm.

A sterile needle will be inserted into a vein in your arm and will be held in place with tape.

You will barely feel the needle. Once the needle is in place, a syringe will be used to collect a sample of your blood.

The needle will be used only once and will be discarded after your donation.

During most blood donations, approximately 470ml (just under one pint) of blood will be taken. This amount is only 10-12% of an adult's blood supply, and your body will be able to replace it very quickly.

As long as you are well hydrated after your blood donation, your body will make up the fluid part of the blood within a few hours. It will take just a few weeks for your body to fully replace all of the blood cells.

Virtual session

You can find out what happens at a blood donor session using the virtual session provided by National Blood Service. This takes you through a blood donor session step-by-step.

After donating

After donating blood, you will need to rest for a short while. You will be offered refreshments to stop you feeling faint or dizzy. The whole process of donating blood should not take longer than an hour.

If you smoke, it is recommended that you avoid smoking for two hours after giving blood because smoking could make you feel faint and dizzy.

Donating blood is very safe, although you may experience some mild after effects such as:

• bruising at the site where the blood was taken (which affects around 1 in 4 people)
• a sore arm (which affects around 1 in 10 people)
• dizziness and fainting (which affects around 1 in 15 people)

More serious after effects that require medical treatment are very rare, occurring in less than 1 in every 3,500 cases.

If you become unwell within two weeks of your donation, call the National Blood Service on 0300 123 23 23. Also call this number if you feel persistently faint following your donation.

If you are concerned about your symptoms, you can call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 for further advice.

Blood

Blood supplies oxygen to the body and removes carbon dioxide. It is pumped around the body by the heart.

Donor

A donor is a person (living or dead) who donates blood, an organ or other body parts to another person in need.

Platelets

Platelets are cells in the blood that control bleeding by plugging the broken blood vessel and helping the blood to clot.

Red cells

Red blood cells transport oxygen around the body and remove carbon dioxide.

Vein

Veins are blood vessels that carry blood from the rest of the body back to the heart.

Blood donations save lives every day. They are used in a wide variety of different situations and to treat a large number of different illnesses and conditions.

Different components

After your blood has been collected for donation, it is sent for testing in a laboratory. Here, it is screened for various viruses and infections, such as HIV and hepatitis. If the blood passes this screening, it will usually be separated into different components. In this way, your blood donation can be used to help several different patients. Once the blood has been separated, it is distributed to hospitals all over the country.

The different components that blood donations are split into are outlined below.

Whole blood

If someone receives whole blood, it means the blood has not been separated into its different components. However, whole blood is rarely used any more and is only useful in cases of severe blood loss.

Red blood cells

Red blood cells are the cells that carry oxygen around the body in a substance known as haemoglobin.

Red blood cells are often used to treat types of anaemia which do not always respond to other forms of treatment, such as medication. For example, sickle cell anaemia (a genetic condition that stops the red cells from carrying enough oxygen) is sometimes treated using red cells.

Red blood cells are often also used to replace blood that is lost as a result of an accident, surgery or during childbirth. In some cases, these cells are also used before operations and surgical procedures. For example, you may need pre-operative red blood cells if you are severely anaemic or have severe burns.

Platelets

Platelets are the cells in your blood that help it to clot. They are often used to treat bone marrow failure. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside your bones that helps produce new blood cells. When the bone marrow is not able to produce enough cells, it is known as bone marrow failure.

Platelets are also used to treat leukaemia (a form of cancer that affects the blood cells).

Plasma

Plasma is a yellow-coloured fluid that helps carry all the different types of blood cells. Plasma can be either frozen or processed.

Frozen plasma is used to help replace blood lost during childbirth or cardiac (heart) surgery. It can also be used to reverse anti-coagulant treatment by encouraging the blood to clot.

Processed plasma is used to treat haemophilia (a condition that stops your blood from clotting normally). It is also used to help produce a substance known as anti-D. This substance helps prevent a condition known as rhesus disease, which occurs when antibodies in a mother's blood attack her baby's blood cells.

Terminal illness

As well as saving lives, blood donations can also help improve the quality of life of people with a terminal illness. A blood transfusion may be able to give them the energy to spend time with their friends and relatives that they might not have otherwise had.

Acute

Acute means occurring suddenly or over a short period of time.

Blood

Blood supplies oxygen to the body and removes carbon dioxide. It is pumped around the body by the heart.

Bone marrow

Bone marrow is the soft, spongy tissue in the centre of bones that produces blood cells.

Plasma

Plasma is the liquid part of blood, which holds other blood cells together.

Platelets

Platelets are cells in the blood that control bleeding by plugging the broken blood vessel and helping the blood to clot.

Red blood cells

Red blood cells transport oxygen around the body and remove carbon dioxide.

White blood cells

White blood cells are the part of blood that fight infection and disease.

Most people between the ages of 17 and 60 who weigh over 50kg (7st 12lb) and have a good level of general health will be able to donate blood.

You can donate blood every 16 weeks (roughly every four months) and regular donors can donate up until they are 70 years of age.

People who cannot donate blood

Before donating blood, you will be asked to fill out a confidential donor health check form. You need to fill out this form to make sure that your blood is suitable for donation.

Not everyone can donate blood. This is to ensure that those people receiving the blood are not exposed to any harmful viruses or infections.

You may not be able to donate blood if:

• you have had a serious illness or major surgery in the past
• you are currently taking certain types of medication, such as those used to prevent blood clotting (you usually have to stop taking these medications for at least seven days before making a donation)
• you have had complicated dental work (it is safe to donate blood 24 hours after having a filling or seven days after a simple extraction)
• you have recently come into contact with an infectious disease
• you have had certain immunisations within the last four weeks
• you are currently on a hospital waiting list, or you are waiting to have tests

If any of these apply to you, you can call the National Blood Service (0300 123 23 23). Staff will be able to give you more specific advice about whether or not you can donate blood. For example, not all types of medication or immunisations prevent you from donating blood.

You should not give blood if:

• you have a chesty cough, sore throat or an active cold sore
• you are taking antibiotics or have finished a course of antibiotics in the last seven days
• you have had hepatitis A or jaundice in the last 12 months
• you have had an ear piercing or body piercing in the last six months
• you have had a tattoo in the last six months
• a member of your immediate family has had Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare condition that affects the nervous system and causes brain damage
• you have had acupuncture outside the NHS
• you have received human pituitary extract (a substance that was used in some growth hormone and fertility treatments before 1985)
• you have received blood during the course of a medical treatment or procedure since 1980

You should not donate blood for 12 months after having sex with:

• a prostitute
• a man who has had oral or anal sex with another man (if you are female)
• someone who has injected drugs
• someone who has haemophilia (a condition that stops your blood from clotting normally)
• someone who has been sexually active in parts of the world where AIDS and HIV are common, such as sub-Sarahan Africa

You should never donate blood if:

• you have HIV
• you have hepatitis B or hepatitis C
• you are a man who has had sex with another man, even if a condom was used (see the box, left)
• you have ever injected yourself with drugs
• you have ever worked as a prostitute

Cord blood is the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord after a baby is born. It is rich in stem cells, which can be used to treat many life-threatening conditions, such as leukaemia (cancer of the bone marrow), and problems with the immune system (the body’s defence system). 

After a baby is born, the placenta and umbilical cord are usually thrown away. However, so that this rich source of stem cells is not wasted, the NHS Cord Blood Bank was set up in 1996 to collect, process, store and supply cord blood.

Once the cord blood has been frozen, it can be stored until a patient with a matching tissue type needs a stem cell transplant. Research has shown that units can be stored for up to 20 years. 

It is free to donate cord blood after the birth of a baby. However, cord blood can only be collected in hospitals where there are dedicated, trained staff. Currently, these are:

• Barnet General Hospital
• Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow
• Luton and Dunstable Hospital
• Watford General Hospital
• St George’s Hospital, London

Donors must give their consent before their baby is born for the cord blood and placenta to be collected. Without consent, the cord blood donations will be thrown away.

If you are interested in cord blood donation, or if you want to know more, visit the NHS Cord Blood Bank website.

Motorsport fanatic Mike Austin, 34, was riding to work on his much-loved motorbike when he collided with a car.

“The impact of the crash trapped my leg between my bike and the car,” says Mike. “My body was slumped over and I knew my leg was in a bad way, but I didn’t feel any pain.”

An ambulance and paramedics arrived. They spent over 45 minutes trying to stabilise Mike before he could be taken to hospital. The crash almost destroyed Mike’s leg. The skin and muscle had been torn off it, the bones were shattered and his femoral artery had been badly damaged.

“The paramedics chatted to me at the side of the road for what seemed like five minutes, then took me to hospital. As soon as I arrived at A&E, blood was pumped into each arm and another bag was attached to my neck. I was losing blood faster than it could be transfused. I was still conscious but the doctors could not find a pulse and my chances of survival were becoming slim.”

Mike was taken to theatre, where surgeons tried to save his leg. During the operation, the entire volume of his blood had to be replaced four times. Two days later, doctors told Mike that his leg would have to be amputated.

“By the time I was told, the pain had become so bad that I was glad it was going to be done. Blood was clotting in my leg, which was poisoning the rest of my body. I really thought I might not make it to the operating table. I felt like I was drifting away.

“When I woke up from my operation I could still barely move, but there was a major improvement in my condition.”

After months of operations involving a total of 33 units of blood products, Mike is feeling positive about the future and is hoping to ride again.

“I’m still working hard with my physiotherapist and hope to be fitted with a flexible knee limb, although this is some way off at the moment.

“I’m glad to be alive and appreciate each and every day. Without blood donors, I definitely wouldn’t be here.”

Nisa Karia, 30, has needed blood transfusions for most of her life. She has received more than 1,300 units of blood so far.

Nisa was diagnosed with thalassaemia major when she was just five years old. This rare blood disorder means that she cannot produce normal haemoglobin for her red blood cells, so she relies on donated blood to survive.

“Growing up needing transfusions was hard for me, but really it was just part of life. I always tell myself that there are plenty of people out there who are worse off,” she says.

Nisa has received 1,300 units of blood so far, and she needs blood transfusions every three weeks. But she hasn't let her condition stop her from realising her dream of working in London's fashion industry, after graduating from Leeds University.

“Thanks to wonderful people who give blood, I lead a full and active life and am looking forward to getting married next year.”

Rudolph Isaacs has donated 41 pints of blood in 17 years. He explains why giving blood is important and how it is an easy way to help others. 

Find out why people choose to donate and follow Tamara through the donation process.